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Favorite all-time Orioles utility player?

Frobby

By Frobby
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Punchandjudy
Punchandjudy

Mark Mclemore-I didn’t realize he played 18 years in the league.

weams
weams

Utility guys are like backup up quarterbacks. Everyone loves them until they play. Robert Andino. I'll pick him for the five year run.   

Frobby
Frobby

Roch wrote a piece on Stevie Wilkerson today, and at the end he asked who is your all-time favorite Orioles utility player.   https://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2019/10/wilkerson-prepared-to-wo

Tx Oriole Hangout Grand Counsel

Tx Oriole

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On 10/12/2019 at 5:45 PM, OFFNY said:

 

 

o

 

Thurman Munson, another tragic plane crash victim from the 70's, also had an outstanding arm behind home plate.

The Clemente and Munson plane crashes that occurred 7 years apart in 1972 and 1979 respectively were 2 of the saddest incidents of my baseball memories from my childhood.

 

 

 

o

That was some sad times.

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Frobby Hangout Grand Counsel

Frobby

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On ‎10‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 6:45 PM, OFFNY said:

Thurman Munson, another tragic plane crash victim from the 70's, also had an outstanding arm behind home plate.

The Clemente and Munson plane crashes that occurred 7 years apart in 1972 and 1979 respectively were 2 of the saddest incidents of my baseball memories from my childhood.
 

How we got this far off topic, I'll never know.    But it caused me to look up Munson's CS%.   It was 44%.   I was surprised it was that high.   For reference, in the years Munson played (1969-79), Johnny Bench threw out 45%, Rick Dempsey 49%.   I really hadn't considered Munson to be in their league when it came to throwing out runners.

In those years, league CS% was in the 35-38% range, depending on the year.

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Can_of_corn Hangout Grand Counsel

Can_of_corn

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1 minute ago, Frobby said:

How we got this far off topic, I'll never know.    But it caused me to look up Munson's CS%.   It was 44%.   I was surprised it was that high.   For reference, in the years Munson played (1969-79), Johnny Bench threw out 45%, Rick Dempsey 49%.   I really hadn't considered Munson to be in their league when it came to throwing out runners.

In those years, league CS% was in the 35-38% range, depending on the year.

Yep a lot of guys were running that shouldn't have been.

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OsEatAlEast Hangout Grand Counsel

OsEatAlEast

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On 10/12/2019 at 9:23 PM, Punchandjudy said:

Mark Mclemore-I didn’t realize he played 18 years in the league.

I think this would have to be my vote. If for nothing other than that time he scored from second against Texas on a sacrifice fly. Also he adjusted very well to the outfield when the O's asked him to play there.

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DrungoHazewood Hangout Grand Counsel

DrungoHazewood

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On 10/12/2019 at 9:23 PM, Punchandjudy said:

Mark Mclemore-I didn’t realize he played 18 years in the league.

 

On 10/12/2019 at 10:10 PM, Moose Milligan said:

Put me down for McLemore, too.  Used to call him Mac Attack.

I liked Hulett, too.

I liked McLemore, too.   It's strange to think that he only played three years in Baltimore, but 15 elsewhere in the majors. 

Also... he wasn't so much a utility player as he was the only person I can remember being a 2B-RFer.  For the Orioles he only played 26 innings at third, and no other field position than second or right.  Think about it... that's a weird combination.  RF is where you play if you're not fast/quick enough to handle center but you have an arm.  Second is where you play if you're real quick on the pivot but don't really have an arm.  Before the O's he played short and third a little more, after he left he played all over the place.

He was also one of those guys who either couldn't hit lefty/lefty at all, or shouldn't have been switch hitting.  Against southpaws he had a career OPS of .621 with a .294 slugging.

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DrungoHazewood Hangout Grand Counsel

DrungoHazewood

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18 hours ago, interloper said:

Chris Gomez, hands down!!

I never liked Chris Gomez, and I'm trying to remember why.  I think it has to do with the fact that he was tapped to be the regular first baseman in 2005 when Raffy had his meltdown, and Gomez was a 34-year-old utility guy with a .701 OPS.  I was probably obsessing over the O's not giving a chance to Alejandro Freire and Walter Young.

Also... Gomez' transactions page is odd.  In the winter of 2004-05 the O's signed Gomez.  I'm assuming that was as a minor league free agent, because the Phillies took him as a 34-year-old Rule 5er.  Then the O's immediately bought him back, so they spent actual cash to make up for neglecting/forgetting/betting it wouldn't matter to put him on the 40-man.

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interloper Hangout Grand Counsel

interloper

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1 minute ago, DrungoHazewood said:

I never liked Chris Gomez, and I'm trying to remember why.  I think it has to do with the fact that he was tapped to be the regular first baseman in 2005 when Raffy had his meltdown, and Gomez was a 34-year-old utility guy with a .701 OPS.  I was probably obsessing over the O's not giving a chance to Alejandro Freire and Walter Young.

Also... Gomez' transactions page is odd.  In the winter of 2004-05 the O's signed Gomez.  I'm assuming that was as a minor league free agent, because the Phillies took him as a 34-year-old Rule 5er.  Then the O's immediately bought him back, so they spent actual cash to make up for neglecting/forgetting/betting it wouldn't matter to put him on the 40-man.

Yep! Lol.

I like Chris Gomez for the following reasons:

1. He hit a big late game or extra-inning (not sure) grand slam in the pouring rain and it was epic.

2. I saw him at the Columbia Mall one time. 

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